Recreation is a different kind of business, it is weather dependant and many decisions must be carefully planned, but implemented in [...]]]> Two people I know in the recreation industry were chatting this week and I learned something that gave me a smile regarding the difference in leadership there and in some large corporate settings.

Recreation is a different kind of business, it is weather dependant and many decisions must be carefully planned, but implemented in last-minute crunches.  For people in the recreation industry, it is even more vital to apply careful upfront planning prior to season changes due to the havoc delivered from an early fall, early spring or significant alterations in expected weather.

Most folks in the recreation industry serve their customers in an outdoor venue, such as ski venues, winter/summer tours, heli-skiing, river rafting, golfing, etc. and are almost entirely weather dependant.  They are more so during the opening and closing months for their industry.  Significant dollar losses and gains are possible almost by the hour.  It’s highly recommended that the long-time experts in the industry own the responsibility in decision-making onsite due to the delicate nature of profit and loss during these seasons.

So what did I learn in the conversation?

One of the individuals was being asked to cut costs.  In corporate, that typically means getting a list of employees, figuring out if any are dead-wood or if any are low performers and cutting employment.  Production slows slightly, but responsibility for duties seems to slide to one of their co-workers and corporate will describe it as pulling up the bootstraps.

Not in this particular instance, the Recreation Industry Manager was charged with reducing costs without a significant hit to the delivery of a great product.  So here is what they did:

They cut all company Data Phones from the budget.

Why? It is a lot more expensive to replace knowledgeable people than it is to replace cellphones. Did they cut a larger number of phones than people, sure did, but wouldn’t it be great to work at a place that cared for the people more than the phone?

(Can you imagine management staff in a corporation believing they can even ‘live without’ their Data Phones?)

In the recreation industry employees are vital to a single role.  For instance; a lift operator on a ski hill can’t double as a ticket seller at the same time has operating heavy equipment; a river scout can’t guide 12 people down a wild white-water river ride and manage to drive the busses to the end-point at the same time; and a golf pro can’t double as your grounds keeper while teaching members how to golf.  Begin cutting people, and you will dangerously hack away at your customer experience (which is what customers are really paying for).

Remember, recreation is what consumers spend money on when they have a little extra.  When they spend money on recreation, they want the best experience possible with a rush of fun, excitement and pleasure that can’t be gained in an office setting.  Customers want to arrive knowing the whole operation is running smoothly and safely AND they want choices.  People don’t want to find out that the 18 holes they booked to play was reduced to 9.  They don’t want to wait 3 hours because 3 boats were scheduled to go down river, but because of budget cuts, only two will go and the third will follow later.

Many lessons can be learned by following the Recreation industry and their experts, the people who have been managing and running them for over 25-40 years and who know their stuff.  They have been through a lot of down-turns, a lot of weather changes and a good-deal many daily decisions made instantly, expertly, and with the understanding that change is not their enemy but their friend if they are prepared for it with upfront planning.  It is, after all, a business that needs to remain profitable to continue offering those exciting experiences that keep the rest of us sane.

I am going to begin this post by letting you know that we work with many fantastic leaders who really care about their people.  You know the ones, these are folks who truly want to be great leaders, their staff loves them and they’re doing [...]]]>  

I am going to begin this post by letting you know that we work with many fantastic leaders who really care about their people.  You know the ones, these are folks who truly want to be great leaders, their staff loves them and they’re doing most of the right things to inspire, motivate and encourage staff.  As a result, the ‘best-of-the-best’ stay at their company, their productivity is fantastic and their culture rocks.  So why do they hire a Leadership Strategist?  Because truly GREAT leaders know they don’t have all the answers, that there is room to grow and because they want to kick it up a notch and make a difference, extending their skills in leadership helps them truly Make the Mark!

What are compelling and interesting are the comments I receive from the people in the trenches, regular every day employees who are doing all the functions to make that business run.  I’ll be out at a party or a networking event and someone will ask me what I do.  When I say, “I am changing the world one manager at a time”, they almost always comment, “Oh my God, our company sure needs you!  The managers at our company make it unbearable.  It’s so difficult to show up every day and I am nauseous driving to work.  I like the work I do, but there is absolutely NO leadership in our company, it is ALL about the spread sheet!” 

Sound familiar?  The shocking news is this, that’s the norm and not the exception for many large companies.  An even more shocking piece of news is that the managers in these companies truly believe they are great!  They don’t hire external consultants in leadership or management development, and many of them are not working diligently to put effective programs in place to retain their most exceptional people or create a better culture.  They are executive to middle managers who believe they have nothing more to learn about leadership, yet they are the ones who need it most.

This proves a few points I have discovered in the launching of my own business:

1.        A marketing concept that many of us will be familiar with is: ‘people don’t buy what they need, they buy what they want!’    Poor leaders don’t seem to WANT to be better leaders, or they’re not measured on leadership acumen.

2.       People or companies who do budget in personal or career development for their leaders truly care about investing in themselves and their company. Great leaders WANT to become even greater.

3.       In companies with a struggling culture, there is a significant disconnect between what the executive to middle managers believe and what the rest of the employees actually feel.

Those three topics could incite a full thesis on leadership and management, but I’ll leave that for another day.  

With the information above, I challenge you to take a good hard look at yourself and your company.  Do a double-take and hip-check on your attitude about growth and personal development.  If you’re in the trenches wanting to reach middle management or executive leadership, think about what you’re willing to do now to work on being the best you can be and study to be an exceptional leader. 

If you were able to improve on your leadership skills and understand what it takes to really care about the people, would it be worth it?  What if you knew that it really is the people who drive the success of the company, wouldn’t you want to make sure you did your best to support them?

 What kind of investment are you willing to make?  Isn’t your best investment always in yourself?

Life is a cycle with many growth spurts, no one has all the answers (not even me) and here is the deal, those willing to accept that they still have lots to learn are those who will affect the world in the most positive manner. 

I choose to be the best I can be.  I choose to make a difference by positively affecting the people in my organization.  I want to be a great role-model and an exceptional leader.  Because of this, I read as many professional and personal development books I can.  I take part in as many opportunities as possible to glean knowledge from people who I admire and believe are living the leadership dream. 

Start now, if you’re not a leader, start before you get there.  For those of you already in a position of affecting the lives of your employees get on board! Recognize there are always ways to improve, always ways to kick it up a notch!  Be a Manager Making the Mark!

By Patti Dragland

President, Strategic Sense Inc.

www.strategicsenseinc.com